


Dance Off

by Prussan, theTabularium



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Basically Marshal gets jack of Chuck being a shit and decides to take him down a peg or two, Crack, DANCE OFF!!, Gen, Songfic, crackfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-16 03:10:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11820009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prussan/pseuds/Prussan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theTabularium/pseuds/theTabularium
Summary: Chuck Hansen had pushed things too far this time, and Stacker Pentecost was pissed."Right," the Marshall said, with shoulders square and a hard tone that commanded the attention of everyone in the room, "You have gone too far this time, Ranger!" Ranger was more of a threatening growl than a word.He turned to face Chuck, and moved a step closer, "Sparring mats, 1400 hours, that's an order." A hush fell over the room, and nobody dared move, with the exception of Mako, who was desperately trying to stifle a fit of laughter. She knew what was coming.





	Dance Off

**Author's Note:**

> Prussan: I own nothing.
> 
> This fic was a long time coming. I started it the day I first heard Dance Off, and got stuck on how to write the actual dance off. I had a break through the other day, and finished it off. Enjoy.
> 
> tT: Edits only for grammar/formatting. This is Pru's brilliant brainchild.

Chuck Hansen had pushed things too far this time, and Stacker Pentecost was pissed. Herc was, perhaps, even more pissed, but he was at a complete loss as to what to do with his son, and Marshal Pentecost was their CO, so he simply said nothing.

 

"Right," the Marshall said, with shoulders square and a hard tone that commanded the attention of everyone in the room, "You have gone too far this time, Ranger!" Ranger was more of a threatening growl than a word.

 

He turned to face Chuck, and moved a step closer, "Sparring mats, 1400 hours, that's an order." A hush fell over the room, and nobody dared move, with the exception of Mako, who was desperately trying to stifle a fit of laughter. She knew what was coming.

 

"Do I make myself clear, Ranger?" Pentecost's voice was quieter, but no less commanding, and it echoed, all the same.

 

Chuck, in spite of himself, gave a quiet "Yessir." and Marshal Stacker Pentecost turned and walked away.

 

People quickly returned to what they were doing before (this was a war, after all) albeit more subdued than before. Mako walked past Chuck, punching him in the arm and saying as she went, "Boy, you are in the shit now, Chuck."

 

Herc lent in towards his son, "She's right, you know." and also walked off.

 

\---

 

News of the challenge spread around the Shatterdome like wildfire, which wasn't surprising, given that the large vacuous concrete building had terrible acoustics, and around half the 'Domes's inhabitants had heard the row first hand.

 

Stacker alone wouldn't have been enough to crush Chuck's cocky streak, but the comments added by Mako and Herc and been just enough to leave a trace of doubt in his mind, and the whispering that followed him around the 'Dome definitely had him worried. He couldn't shake the feeling that everyone knew something he didn't, a situation that always turned out badly for Chuck.

 

Chuck _might_ have shat himself, had he seen the way Mako practically skipped into the K-Science lab inhabited by Drs Gottlieb  & Geiszler.

 

Mako had seen this all before, and she knew exactly how the Marshal expected her to prepare for the event. She also personally believed that Chuck definitely _would_ have shat himself, had known what she was preparing for.

 

Mako had come to visit Newt, who was currently elbow deep in kaiju specimens, and as such it was Gottlieb who greeted her. "Hello Miss Mori, how are you?" he said formally, while half way up the ladder in front of his chalkboards.

 

"I am well, thank you, Dr Gottlieb. Did you hear that Marshal Pentecost has issued a challenge?"

 

"It was hard not to hear it, what with the 'Dome's atrocious acoustics. I presume you'll be wanting to speak to Newton. He's over playing with entrails again" Hermann threw a piece of chalk at Newt, who was so deeply engrossed in what he was doing that he hadn't noticed Mako at all.

 

The chalk, however, landed in a pool of kaiju blood that was collecting in the specimens abdominal cavity, and promptly started to dissolve. This got Newts attention, "HEY, HEY, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THE CHALK, MAN?! It doesn't just go away when it dissolves, Hermann!"

 

Newt tried desperately to scoop the pool of fizzing tainted blood out of the cavity. "IT COMPLETELY CHANGES THE PH OF THE SPECIMEN!!" he yelled.

 

Hermann turned stiffly "Yes, I'm well aware of how acid-base reactions occur, Newton!"

 

"What you couldn't have just got my attention like a normal person and called my name?!"

 

Hermann turned back to the board, "No it wouldn't have done any good. Mako is here for you."

 

Newt looked at the doorway, and blinked, confused for a moment, "Oh, Mako. What can I do you for?"

 

There was the sound of chalk snapping from being pressed too hard against the chalkboard, and a slight smirk appeared on Newt's face. Mako didn't move answer Newton's question because--

"Newton, if you're going to speak English use proper, grammatically correct sentences!"

 

Newt turned slightly, and said "Herms," a second stick of chalk snapped and Newt's smirk Grew wider, "that's for contaminating my sample, man."

 

Hermann said nothing, so he turned back to Mako. "Newton, did you happen to bring your of your DJ equipment to Hong Kong?"

 

Newt looked at her. "Of course, I wouldn't have been able to use it to piss of Hermann otherwise." Hermann stayed silent, but the scribbling on the chalkboard became faster and noisier.

 

"Fantastic." Mako replied with a big grin. "Can you have it set up in the Kwoon Combat Room before 1400 hours?"

 

"Sure." Newt replied, "Why?"

 

Mako frowned slightly, "Didn't you hear it? Marshal issued a challenge."

 

Newt's eyes lit up, "No? I was- was" he gestured towards the contaminated kaiju sample, "working."

 

Hermann now interjected, "He was. There was near silence for almost an hour. It was blissful."

 

Newt took the bait, "Shut up, Hermann. You don't have to act like it's a fucking miracle every time I get hyperfocused on something."

 

He turned back to Mako, mood slightly spoiled. "Anyway, tell me, who is the lucky recipient of the asskicking at the hands of our great and fearless leader?!"

 

Mako grinned again, "Chuck."

 

Newt fist-pumped, "Yeaaah! Tendon owes me 20 bucks. I'll be there. 1400 hours."

 

Mako turned "Thanks Newt. Goodbye, Drs.”

 

\---

 

Everyone was already assembled in the Kwoon Combat Room by 1400 hours, eager not to miss whatever the Marshal had planned. As Chuck entered the room, the small amount of chatter died off. Chuck smirked, walking towards the centre of the mats, arms out, "I see everyone's here for the show then!" He turned, bravado and showmanship rolling off him in waves, the smirk split into a grin as he looked at the crowd. His smile faltered slightly, however, as he came full circle to find Marshal Pentecost facing away from him.

 

It seemed impossible, but a whole new level of silence descended on the room. Strange tonal chords began emanating through out the chamber, sounding vaguely reminiscent of a pipe organ mash up of Ghostbusters and Phantom of the Opera that someone had run through a synthesiser.

 

Stacker looked down to his right slightly. Not enough to look over his shoulder, but enough to indicate he was addressing the smug bastard behind him. He spoke and his words seemed to fill the room more voluminously than the ominous strains of music. "I challenge you to a dance off," He turned sharply, "Hands off, no trash talk, no back walk." he said, counting off on one hand.

 

He began walking towards Chuck, who was now confused and intimidated. "On the black top, just me, you, that's all," Stacker punctuated every syllable with sharp, pointed gestures, and began to circle Chuck, "No cat calls, no tag teams, no mascots," The Marshal came around, and turned to face him, closing their interpersonal space to uncomfortable small distances, "Right now, dance off."

 

Suddenly the music dropped into something else entirely, something with a heavy base line and strong rhythm, and occasional deep brass horns, and Stacker began to move with the elegance and fluidity and purpose of Coyote Tango's hydraulic controls. While the man ordinarily commanded attention and respect, while dancing he had the presence of a Jaeger.

 

He moved with sharp, clean, beat-driven street moves that were cut by rivers of flowing, smooth, seamless motion that put most holographic fluid dynamics simulators to shame.

 

There was a blip of silence in the music, and Stacker stopped, gesturing, with a tiny half smile, for Chuck to take the floor. Chuck smirked in reply, and stepped forward.

 

(It was at this point, that Newt, hidden behind the crowd of onlookers, threw a tiny spoken "Dance off!" lyric sample into the mix.)

 

While the Marshal had been grace and purpose, Chuck inelegantly threw his hand behind his head, squatted slightly, and began madly gyrating his pelvis like a horny koala. It was at this point that Mako, having seen videos of the strange and diseased marsupials mating, lost it, and began laughing hysterically. Others began taking out phones to record the scene.

 

Chuck, undeterred, attempted some poorly executed, messy and hurried hip-hop style moves, before suddenly grabbed onto his belt buckle with one hand, as if to emphasised his package, whilst throwing the other in the air.

 

Newt, who had conveniently looped the music that the Marshal danced to for Chuck's round, took this moment to carefully clamber onto one of the silver crates that housed his deck, in order to capture video of the performance. He then proceeded to send the video to Herman, with the subject "Important scientific discovery."

 

Halfway across the Shatterdome, Herman choked on his tea, and then wondered how Chuck hadn't managed to single-handedly dislocate both hip joints.

 

To complete the trifecta, Chuck started to move towards the Marshal, getting into his personal space. Stacker stood his ground impassively. He hadn't yielded to tossers before, and he certainly wasn't going start anytime soon. That was, until Chuck went to execute a classic fingertip push.

 

Seeing what was coming, Stacker moonwalked slightly, arcing torso out of the way of Chuck's intrusive fingers. Of course, Chuck took this to be a concession, and over confidently turned to raise his hands in the air to the beat.

 

But everyone’s eyes were on the Marshal, who made a point of brushing off his lapels, and stepped forward, walloping Chuck in the arse with his foot, catching him by surprise.

 

The music shifted again, back to the heavily synthesised pipe organ chords at the beginning, "I said 'Hands off,' Ranger! Or do you not recall?" The Marshal called.

 

"No trash talk, no back walk, no cat calls, no tag teams, no mascots. Just dance off." He recapped, before proceeding to once again to mercilessly wipe the floor with Chuck's pathetic attempt at dancing.

 

By this time, the spectators had begun to chant, "Go, go, go, go!" in support of Stacker Pentecost. Even Tendo was chanting, fist pumping in time to the beat.

 

Stacker danced the rest of the song out, and while Chuck seemed to fizzle pretty quickly after getting kicked in the arse, holding his hands up in defeat, glutes and pride in flames.

 

Someone from the crowd tossed Stacker a towel and a bottle of water. Chuck looked as if to day "Where's mine?" but wisely thought better of it.

 

The Marshal took a moment to compose himself before speaking, "Well," he said, still slightly out of breath, "It looks like you dance just as much shit as you talk, Ranger." before flicking the towel over his shoulder and walking out of the room.

 

"Back to work everyone. War clock is still running." he called from down the hall, and the crowd started to disperse. Tendo was the first to pass Chuck, "Hey, man, that was fucking great! I'm not even pissed that I owe Newt $20! See ya, hot shot."

 

Others simply thumped him on the back on their way out, with a "Great show, man." and "Did you ever consider a career as a striper, Chuck?"

 

Finally Herc wandered over to his son, clapping his hand on his shoulder, "Struth mate." he said. "It's a good thing you don't pilot a Jaeger the same way you dance. We'd have been bloody fucked if you did."

 

"Fuckin' heck. What'd you let him boot me up the backside, for?" Chuck whinged.

 

Now it was Herc's turn to smirk, "Cos you always needed a good kick up the coit." Turned to walk away, "Beside, serves you right for being a stupid fucking peanut, and stepping up to the Marshal in a dance off."


End file.
